Wringer



P. M. HoRoBlN A y 3,494,155

Feb. l0, 19,70

l wRIuQER Filed May 22. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ INVENTOR. MMM

P. M. HoRRoBlN Feb. l0, 1970 WRINGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22.196'? United States Patent O 3,494,155 WRINGER Paul M. Horrobin, Erie,Pa., assignor to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvania Filed May 22, 1967, Ser. No. 640,054 Int. Cl. D06f 45/18U.S. Cl. 68-255 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An instinctivewringer in which articulation of the wringer relative to the head camsthe index pin to release the roll drive and stop the rolls.

This invention is an instinctive release wringer having a lever with acam slot for the index pin which cams the index pin to release the rolldrive when the wringer is pivoted relative to the wringer head under theinstinctive reaction of the user. In one form, the lever is pivoted onthe head and in another form the lever is fixed to the wringer.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an elevation of a wringer partly in section,FIG. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the drive in neutral,FIG. 2a is a similar view in a driving position and with the wringerpivoted relative to the head, FIG. 3 is a view of the index pin in theneutral position of the drive, FIG. 4 is a view of the index pin in oneof the drive positions, and FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of amodification.

The common parts of the wringer are readily identified, 1 and 2 beingthe rolls, 3 the bottom frame, 4 one of the side stiles fixed toopposite ends of the bottom frame and 6 the top frame releasably securedto the bottom frame and associated with pressure means (ont shown) forthe rolls.

The wringer rolls are driven by reversible gearing having a gear 7meshing with gears 8, 9 loose on a drive shaft 10 journaled in thewringer head 11. A clutch 12 keyed to the shaft 10 is shown in theneutral position and is movable up or down into driving engagement witheither gear 8 or 9 by an eccentric pin 13 on a cam 14 fixed to a controlshaft journaled in the head and turned by a handle 16.

The head 11 has a depending sleeve extension 17 journaled on the upperend of a wringer post 18. A power shaft 19 drives the shaft 10continuously through a clutch connection 20. The sleeve 17 rests on anindex collar 21 having suitably spaced holes 21a for an index pin 22vertically slidable in the head. The purpose of the index pin is topositively lock the wringer in the desired position so it will not swingaround the wringer post under the driving torque. A button 23 alsocooperates with the holes 21a to yieldably index the wringer. The partsso far `described are or may be of common construction and may differsubstantially from the specific construction illustrated.

Wringers use heavy pressure between the rolls and injury could resultif, for example, the users fingers were caught between the rolls. Undersuch conditions, there is an instinctive reaction to escape from beingdrawn into the rolls which is used to stop the roll drive. Once thedrive is stopped, the panic condition ceases so the stopping of thedrive serves as a safety release.

To accomplish this instinctive safety release, the wringer is pivoted orarticulated on the head by means of vertical pivots 24, 25 fixed to thehead and fitting in ears 26, 27 on a bracket 28 fixed to side stile 4.This supports the wringer on the head for bodily movement toward or awayfrom the bite of the rolls. The lower ear 26 has 3,494,155 Patented Feb.10, 1970 an extension 28a which projects through a slot 29 in the headpresented toward the wringer and has a pin and slot connection 30 with alever 31 pivoted on bearing 32 for the shaft 10. Whenever the wringer ispivoted about pivots 24, 25, the lever 31 is compelled to pivot aboutbearing 32. The end of lever 31 remote from the wringer has an arcuateslot 33 having an enlarged center section 34 fitting an enlarged section22a of index pin 22. When the wringer drive is in neutral, a spring 36elevates the index pin above the index collar 21 and moves the enlargedsection 22a of the pin into the center section 34 of the slot 33. Thisblocks the pivotal movement of the wringer and rigidly holds the wringercentered with respect to the head 7. When the drive is in neutral, the'wringer acts as though rigidly fixed to the head. In the driveposition, cam 14 `depresses the index pin (FIG. 4) so its reducedsection 35 may fit in the slot 33 and permit substantial articulation orpivoting of the wringer to achieve said instinctive release as shown inFIG. 2a. As the wringer is pivoted from the FIG. 2 position toward theFIG. 2a position a shoulder 36 on the index pin 22 engages the camsurface 37 on the under side of the lever 31 and causes the pin to Ibecammed downward so its rounded upper end 38` clears the associateddetent recess 39 which normally holds the cam 14 in the positionselected by the gear control handle 16. As soon as the rounded end ofthe index pin leaves the detent recess 39, a tension spring 40 betweenthe cam 14 and the head returns t'he cam to the neutral position wherethe rounded end 38 of the pin enters a similar recess 39a to hold thegearing in neutral. The gearing is of the type which is biased towardthe neutral position and which must be latched in the driving position.The index pin in association with detent recess 39 latches the gearingin driving position.

In the modification of FIG. 5, the sole difference is in the structurefor transmitting the pivotal movement of the wringer relative to thehead to the index pin in order to release the wringer drive. The wringeritself and the wringer head are of the same construction andcorresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. Inthis construction, the lever 31 is omitted and replaced by a lever 41rigid with the extension 28a of ear 26 of bracket 28. The pivotalmovement of the lever 41 accordingly corresponds exactly to the pivotalmovement of the wringer about its pivots 24, 25. The lever 41 has aclearance slot 42 surrounding the shaft 10 and its lower bearing 32 andalso has the same arcuate slot 33, 34 provided in the lever 31. In theneutral position shown in FIG. 5, the enlarged section 22a of the indexpin has a tight fit in the enlarged section 34 of the slot 33 and holdsthe wringer in fixed relation to the wringer head. When the wringerdrive is moved to one of the driving positions, the index pin 22 isdepressed so that the shoulder 36 on the index pin is brought intocooperative relation with the cam surface 37 on the under side of theslot 33. Accordingly, when the wringer is pivoted about its pivots 24,25, the index pin 22 is cammed ydownward to release the drivingmechanism in the same manner as the previously described construction.

When the wringer is in driving position, it is desirable that thewringer be centered with respect to the wringer head. This isaccomplished by compression springs 43 arranged between abutments 44 onthe head and 45 on the wringer. The springs 43 yieldably center thewringer and the associated parts in the position shown in FIG. 5. Inthis position, the instinctive safety release of the roll drive may beaccomplished by pivoting the wringer in either direction relative to thewringer hea-d. The centering springs 43 may be usedy with the FIGS. 1-4wringer.

To move the wringer to an index position, the handle 16 is turned toneutral and the wringer is then rigidly xed to the head by theinterengagement of enlargement 22a on the index pin with section 34 ofthe slot 33 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Upon reaching the drive position,the handle 16 is turned to drivef This depresses the index pin topositively lock the wringer head to the index collar and also latchesthe gearing in drive Pivoting the wringer relative to the head depressesthe index pin, releasing the latch for the gearing which is thenreturned to neutral by the spring 40.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a clothes wringer, a wringer head having drivemechanism including means for biasing the -drive mechanism from any ofits positions to neutral, means for mounting the wringer for pivotalmovement relative to the Ihead, the head having a slot presented towardthe wringer, latch means vertically slidable in the wringer head andincluding a pin biased to a position holding the drive mechanism in adrive position, a lever pivoted on the wringer head on a vertical axisand having a cam surface cooperating wit-h said latch means uponpivoting of said lever about said vertical axis to move said pin awayfrom the position holding the drive mechanism in a drive position andthereby release said latch means, and an operative connection betweenthe wringer and said lever extending from the wringer through said slotinto the head for etfecting pivoting of the lever about said verticalaxis to release the latch means upon pivotal movement of the wringerrelative to the head.

2. The wringer of claim 1 in which the latch means comprises an indexpin having the additional function of holding the wringer in anyselected index position.

3. The wringer of claim 2 in which the lever has a slot through whichthe index pin extends and the cam surface is at one edge of the slot.

4. The wringer of claim 3 in which the slot has an enlarged section andthe index pin has an enlarged section fitting said enlarged section ofthe slot in the neutral position of the gears to hold the lever xedrelative to the head in the neutral position of the drive and in whichthe index pin has a reduced section loosely received in the slot in thedrive position of the drive so the lever may move relative to the headin the drive position of the drive.

5. The wringer of claim 4 in which the came surface on the levercooperates wit-h the upper e'nd of the enlarged section of the indexpin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,387,086 10/1945 Moon 68-2552,937,517 5/1960 Hughes 68-255 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G.MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner

